The Perfect Lemonade
by Fanpire101
Summary: "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Wonder where that phrase came from...Mikayla's life was turned upside down in her senior year at High School. Now she finds that pulling it back together is easier with good friends and a loving boyfriend.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Okay, so this is my first Sue Thomas: F. story. I haven't seen all of the episodes, but I've fallen in love with the show. I'm a huge fan of Yannick Bisson and Rick Peters as well. So, before we get started, I'd like to dedicate this story to proudtobeamerican18. I really owe her (at least, I'm assuming she's a she. If not, many apologies). Anyways. Proudtobeamerican18 has helped me so much, and given me the inspiration and the kick in the pants I needed to actually post this. I accept constructive criticism, but any flames will only get you an angry author. And nobody wants that, right?

**Chapter 1**

Jack sighed as Tommy handed him his key. The aforementioned Tommy gave him a sympathetic smile.

"I'm really sorry about this Jack. You know I wouldn't leave you hanging like this, but my mom really needs my help in taking care of my dad back home."

"Don't worry about it Tommy. I hope your dad gets better soon. Wish him my best." Jack replied. Jack heaved another sigh as he flopped down onto his leather couch. "Another roommate bites the dust," he muttered as he changed the channel on his T.V. to the news and muted it. It had become a habit ever since 9/11; Jack always felt the need to know exactly what was happening in the world when he wasn't working with the F.B.I..

Tommy was Jack's fourth roommate in a year. The first, Toby, had left because Jack kept waking him up when he came home at insane hours of the night, or morning as it sometimes was. He had said that he was happy to have lived with 'one of America's finest', but when 'saving the world' interrupted his sleep, he had to draw the line. The second, Lara, had had a job transfer from D.C. to Philadelphia. Stefanie, the third, had moved in with her boyfriend. Now Tommy.

Jack would have resigned himself to living alone if for the fact that his apartment was far too large for only one tenant, and the rent had just skyrocketed. Even his government salary would not cover the new expense. The open concept, two bedroom apartment got lonely when he was the only person living there.

Jack called up The Washington Post and placed a Want Ad for a new roommate. As Jack hung up and wandered into his bedroom to get ready for bed, he said a quick prayer to God that he would finally get a decent roommate that wasn't going to move or leave or complain.

"All I want is someone neat and easygoing that won't fuss about my unpredictable hours. Is that too much to ask?" Jack questioned his reflection in the bathroom mirror. Thinking of his past roommates and failed relationships, he began to believe that, maybe, his expectations were a tad too high.

* * *

><p>A young brunette sat in a chair in a classy looking office in Washington, D.C.. A big, scary looking F.B.I agent sat in front of her. She had just received word that her internship with the F.B.I was a-go, so she had driven from New York to D.C. in order to hammer out the final details.<p>

"So, Miss. Kennedy, what is it that you want to do with us, eventually?"

The brunette now identified as Miss. Kennedy looked up at the tall man in front of her and swallowed nervously. "Well, I'm taking refresher courses at the University of the District of Columbia, just to refresh my memory on my degree, which is in Criminology. After doing that, I hope to train to become a Special Agent. My time in Italy with the American Airforce has made me open my eyes to the world of law enforcement. So I thought to myself, if I'm going to become an agent of law enforcement, why not go all the way and become one of America's best?" She grimaced internally, wondering if she had chosen the wrong time to make a joke. But the agent in front of her laughed gutturally as he picked up the folder in front of him. She sighed in relief before adding, "Mostly, I just want to defend the Constitution of the United States and the rights of all Americans." Years ago, she and her best friend had memorized the phrase when she was helping him. Even then, he had been sure of his career path. He wanted to be a Special Agent in the F.B.I.. She had never thought that, years later, she would be following the same path.

The agent in front of her nodded thoughtfully. "Let me just make a call."

Mikayla Kennedy sighed in relief as the agent in front of her left the room. She nervously clicked her heels together, hearing as she did: _"When you do that, do you say to yourself, "There's no place like home?"?" _Even after 14 years, she couldn't forget the sound of her best friend's voice. Whenever he had seen her clicking her heels together, he would go over to her and rescue her from whatever situation she had found herself in, making sure to tease her about it later. She chuckled silently as she remembered her retort one such time: _"Why do I need to think that when I know you'll come rescue me?"_ Shaking her head sadly, she remembered how much of a home he had been to her.

Mikayla closed her eyes for a moment to picture his smiling, happy, open face. People always thought they were 'together' or would get together, but they always laughed them. They were just best friends; siblings in all but blood. He was like a big brother, best friend, and father figure wrapped into one person. _"Stop thinking about him!"_ she commanded herself. _"It's been 14 years since you last saw him. So knock it off!_"

"Penny for your thoughts?" the F.B.I agents voice interrupted her thoughts.

Mikayla quickly laughed it off. "My thoughts aren't worth a penny. I wouldn't even pay for them." _Especially dangerous thoughts about the past_, she added silently.

The agent laughed. "I highly doubt that." He slid her a sheet of paper and a pen. "I'm just going to need you to sign some paperwork." She quickly signed all of the documents, and fingerprinted the last box. "Well, you're officially in." He reached across the desk between them to shake her hand. "You'll be working with one of the best surveillance teams on the force. The supervisor is Ted Garrett; he'll be expecting you tomorrow morning at the Hoover Building. Congratulations!"

"Thank you so much!" She released the agent's hand, as she exited the room, moved down the hall, and left the building. She fairly skipped to her car, nearly tripping over her stilettos. She felt relief at finally being able to pull her life together after so many years.

She had worked her way through college at Columbia in New York. After getting her Masters in Criminology she had spent two years in Italy, rebuilding her faith and repairing what a priest there had called "her damaged soul". On her return back, she had joined the Airforce, and was sent straight back to Italy to work with Allied forces there. Not wanting to make the military her life, she decided to go back to school in order to join the F.B.I.. But the years between her high school experience and her college experience were damaging to her, and she just didn't want to think about them anymore. She started her car, intent on finding the closest newsstand. If she was going to stay in D.C., she felt that her first step would be to find a place to live.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I know it's on the shorter side, but I hope that you enjoyed it. Please read and review!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Okay so just a note on timeline. Jack's part of the last chapter took place on a Tuesday. Mikayla's part takes place on the following Wednesday. This chapter is the rest of that Wednesday. Okay? Oh, and thank you for all your support!

**Chapter 2**

The next day, Jack strolled into the bullpen, automatically ducking as Levi's stuffed bunny soared over his head. He quickly dodged as the Golden Retriever bounded past him, grinning as he remembered the day they had bought Levi his new toy after the cleaning crew had thrown the old one out. Sue had been so happy for her companion. Speaking of Sue Thomas, Jack spotted the blond beauty perched on the edge of Bobby's desk, chatting amicably with him and Myles before their day got too busy. He smiled at the sight of her as his heartbeat sped up.

The two of them had been dancing around each other ever since they had met. They were both by the book, so neither of them would make a move with that stupid 'No Fraternization' rule in place. Jack had attempted to date other girls, but none of them compared to Sue's sweetness and kindness. Jack just couldn't get over her, which was driving him insane. "_If I don't figure this out soon, I'm going to end up giving myself another heart attack,_" he thought ruefully, rubbing his chest.

Levi ran past him again, the multi-coloured rabbit hanging out of his mouth. Following him to Sue, Jack called out a greeting to his team.

"Morning Sparky!" Bobby, his best friend, called out.

"Mon capitaine!" Myles saluted him in a way that only Myles could. Jack shook his head while laughing. "What?" Myles asked, seeing the team leader laughing at him. Taking a wild guess at what Jack was chuckling at, Myles added, "Well excuse me for trying to add some culture to the group!"

"You know, I'd love to start the day without hearing you complain about anything and everything!" Lucy said as she and Tara walked in. Lucy said it with a smile, however, so Myles knew she was just teasing.

"You know, a recent study showed that a little bit of negativity and complaining is actually beneficial to your health." Tara remarked.

Myles gave Lucy a 'cat-ate-the-canary' smile, causing Lucy to lean over to Tara and whisper, "You know, you basically just gave him permission to complain all he wants."

"It's true!" Tara replied in defence, before settling herself down at her desk.

Sue rose from her perch on Bobby's desk and walked over to him. "You're here late," she commented.

"Yeah, I had to clean up my apartment. A potential roommate is coming to view the place today at 5." Jack had gotten a call early that morning, saying that the woman on the other line was interested in co-leasing his apartment, and that she needed to find a place quickly. Jack, always eager to help, had immediately responded by saying that the woman could come check the place out that day.

"That's great Jack! That' really quick too, since Tommy just moved out yesterday." Sue replied enthusiastically.

"Yeah, I hope, if this woman decides to sign the lease, that she stays more than a few months. But she did say that she needs a place urgently. So fingers crossed."

"I would, but I kind of need my fingers today." Sue pointed out with a sly smile on her face, referring to the fact that she sometimes needed her fingers and hands to speak ASL.

"You know what I mean!" Jack waved her off laughing as Dimetrius appeared to brief them on the new findings in the case they were working on.

* * *

><p>At five to 5, Jack exited his silver sedan and rushed up to his apartment building. Despite the chill, the sun was shining brightly but his dark sunglasses cut the glare.<p>

"Hey Vince," he addressed the security guard in the booth as he entered the building. "Has anyone come to see me?"

"Yeah Jack, I let her in. That's her right there." Vince pointed to a pretty brunette sitting by the fountain in the lobby.

"Thanks." Jack swiped his key card and swung the door open, making his way towards the woman who was staring at the fountain, lost in thought. To Jack, she looked slightly familiar. In his rush not to be late, he had left his sunglasses on.

"Excuse me," he started. "Are you –" Jack was shocked into silence as the woman lifted her head and met his gaze. He ripped the sunglasses off his face to ensure that his eyes weren't deceiving him. "Mikayla? Mikayla Kennedy?"

The woman looked up at him, before gasping in recognition. "Jack! Oh my gosh, I can't believe it!" She jumped up and hugged him, but Jack didn't return her hug, causing her to pull away, looking embarrassed. "So, um…" Mikayla tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and looked around the lobby. "H-how are you?"

"_You mean since you left Wisconsin?_" Jack wanted to reply. "_No, that would come off as bitter. But what can I say!_" Jack blurted out the first thing that came to his mind: "What are you doing here?"

Mikayla sat heavily on the ledge of the fountain, as if he had cut the legs out from under her. "Well…I need a place to stay…so I guess I'm answering your Want Ad. Assuming you're the J. Hudson that placed this ad." she added quickly as she pulled that day's Washington Post out of her purse and showed him his 'Roommate Wanted' ad.

"_Well this is great!_" Jack thought. "_I want a roommate, and I end up with the best friend I haven't seen since graduation._"

"Well, do you want to see the place?"

Mikayla nodded her head and followed Jack past the elevators to the stairs. "_Same old Jack,_" she thought. "_Always the health nut. Never takes the elevators, walks as much as he can._" She grinned ruefully, but the smile quickly faded from her face. "_Times have changed. You hurt him, remember? So there's no reason to be all upset by what happened back there. You deserve far worse,_" she admonished herself.

They trekked up two flights of stairs before Mikayla got up the nerve to speak to him. "I'm really happy to see you again, Jack." Before her nerve failed her, she added in a small voice, "I missed you."

Jack paused in front of her, and rubbed his neck. "_Great job Jack. Now you've hurt her feelings. She thinks you don't care about her._" Jack couldn't silence the little voice inside his head that said that she didn't care about him before she just up and left. Mikayla jumped as he suddenly turned. "Sorry. I guess I haven't been…Well, I am happy to see you. I missed you too." He hesitantly opened his arms to her, and they gave each other a warm, albeit slightly awkward, hug. "So, um, where have you been living?"

"New York. I deferred my acceptance to college for a year so I could…" Mikayla's voice trailed off as Jack nodded understandingly.

They stood in silence for a moment before Jack turned and led her through the door to the landing of the third floor, and to his apartment door. He fumbled with his key for a moment before opening the door.

The apartment was by no means large, but the open concept made it appear spacious. The kitchen had updated stainless steel appliances. The breakfast counter/island separated it from the rest of the apartment. There was a black leather sectional forming an 'L' around the rug, with the couch facing the television. That was all Mikayla got to take in before Jack asked her if he could take her jacket. She shrugged off her suede jacket and gave it to him, which he then put into the closet by the door.

"Do you want something to drink?" Mikayla shook her head. "I'm just going to go get out of my work clothes. Go ahead and take a look around." Jack disappeared through one of the doors on the opposite wall.

Mikayla wandered over to the bookcase that stood near the electric fireplace. She looked at the photos of Jack and his family, Jack and Billy, Jack and someone that looked like a judge. The picture that really caught her attention was that of Jack and a taller, extremely attractive man. They were dressed in their graduation robes from college. They had their caps tossed in the air and were laughing to the camera. The photo next to it was of a group of people in F.B.I jackets. "_He made it. He actually did it._" Mikayla thought proudly, thinking of how Jack had always spoken about joining the F.B.I or the C.I.A when he was older. The same tall man from the previous picture had one arm slung around Jack's neck, while the other arm hung over the shoulder of the petite blond with a pixie cut that was standing in front of him. A pretty blonde woman holding a Golden Retriever's leash was standing on Jack's other side. A blonde, older looking man stood on the other side of the man, while a pretty black woman stood next to the blond with the dog. Behind Jack was a black man, smiling down upon all of them. "_He looks so happy. This must be his team._"

Mikayla sat herself on the leather couch as she waited for Jack. "_I don't blame him for not having any pictures of us as kids. I really messed up._" Mikayla felt a few tears escape her eyes as she thought of all the good times she and Jack had had in Wisconsin. Ice skating, watching Christmas movies all of Christmas Eve, school, playing at the park, everything. More tears escaped as she remembered the letter she wrote him before she left. "_Why am I such a chicken? If I had just told him everything face to face, this never would have happened!_" So caught in her thoughts she was, she didn't even realize that Jack had returned until she felt the couch dip beside her. She quickly attempted to wipe away her tears, but more kept coming.

"Hey," she heard Jack whisper. "What's wrong?" She shook her head fiercely as she tried to contain her emotions. Jack hesitated for a second before putting his arm around her shoulders and gently pulling her to him. She quickly buried her head into his shoulder, sobbing softly. "Shh," he soothed, rubbing her back and stroking her hair gently. "It's okay." He waited a few moments for her loud sobs to subside before asking, "What are you crying about?"

"Nothing…it's stupid," she hiccuped.

"Mikayla," Jack gently pushed her away so he could look at her tear-stained face. "I've known you since the day you were born. It's never 'nothing' with you. So what's wrong? Tell me," he commanded softly.

"No Jack, it really is stupid." At the look he gave her, she sighed and continued in a tiny voice. "It's just – it really is dumb – you don't have any pictures of us." There was a tense silence before Jack removed his arm from around her shoulders and scooted down the couch. "See!" Mikayla sniffed. "I told you it was stupid. I mean, I completely understand why you don't. I'm the one that left, I'm the one that didn't say goodbye, I'm the one that wrote you that damn letter!"

Jack removed his arm from around her shoulders so he could sit on the black leather ottoman in front of her. He took her hand in his and rubbed it soothingly. "Shhh," he whispered. When she had calmed herself slightly, she looked over at him. Not wanting to get into an argument with her, he changed the subject. "So, what do you think?" he asked, looking around his apartment.

She used her free hand to wipe the tears off her face before replying, "I love it. It's so spacious and open. It's perfect."

"Good, good. So when do you want to move in?"

"Well, I have to get my stuff out of storage, so…Saturday?"

"Sounds good. Where are you going to stay until then?"

"I've got a hotel room booked for the rest of this week. I'll be fine there."

"Are you sure? You know, you can always stay here." Jack mentally slapped himself. "_Stay here? Good job Jack, if she stays here, things will be more awkward than ever. At least with her moving in on Saturday, you've got a few days to prepare._"

"No thanks, Jack. I'll be fine at the hotel." Mikayla rose and walked over to the closet to retrieve her jacket. "So," she started as she shrugged into her jacket. "I guess I'll see you Saturday?"

Jack nodded his head. The two old friends stood there next to the front door, not knowing what to do. Finally, Jack stuck his hand out. Hesitantly, Mikayla reached out and shook it slowly before opening the door and slipping outside. Jack quickly closed the door behind her, resting his entire weight against the door once it was shut.

"_Well, that was a disaster. What am I going to do on Saturday? I can't just say no to Mikayla; I've never been able to say no to her. But we haven't seen each other in 15 years! We don't even know each other anymore. We've both changed…But it seems like she's changed for the better. She seems so different, more…grown up._" Jack paused to think about everything Mikayla had to have been through since he saw her last. "_I guess she had to grow up. She went through so much, back then._" Punching the door in anger, Jack turned and walked into his kitchen to find something to eat. "_I would've been able to help her if she hadn't just…left! She didn't have to go through it by herself!_"

Jack thought back to the letter she had written him. A few days past high school graduation, they were supposed to go out to breakfast together with a few of their other friends. Allie wasn't going to go because she and Jack had broken up. Allie had said that she didn't want to draw out the inevitable. Mikayla had been fairly pleased with the outcome, as now she and Jack were both single again, Mikayla having broken up with her boyfriend, Drake. They were going to breakfast with a few of their other single friends to celebrate graduating.

Jack had wandered down the stairs to find his mother sitting at the kitchen table with a letter in front of her.

"It's for you," she had said. He tore it open and read it, recognizing Mikayla's handwriting. Today, only the most important phrase had stuck with him. "_Just because I screwed up my own life doesn't mean I have to screw up yours too._" Needless to say, this living arrangement was going to be interesting.

* * *

><p>The next day, Jack wandered into the bullpen. Unlike the previous day, he was not in a good mood. He had been up half the night thinking about the situation he had gotten himself into. Whichever way he spun it, he could only see living with Mikayla was a bad thing. There was a millisecond before dawn when he saw them living together as a way to renew their friendship, but he credited that to sleep depravation.<p>

He gave himself a shake as he walked over to the coffee cart parked in the side of the room. He poured himself a mug of black coffee, and it had disappeared by the time he reached his desk.

"Whoa-ho! Looks like Agent Sparky had a long night." Bobby exclaimed as he caught a glimpse of Jack's face. "Geez mate, you could carry bowling balls in those bags!"

"Ha. Ha. Ha. You're hilarious. Seriously." Jack replied tiredly as he sank into his office chair. A sharp pain in his leg alerted him to Levi, who had trotted over to his desk and laid his head on his lap. "Hey Buddy." Jack looks up at Sue, who signed 'YOU OK?' to him. Jack replied, 'YES'. He then pointed over to Garrett, who was standing out of her line of sight.

"Okay everybody. We have a new team member. She's here on an internship while she takes some refresher courses at college. Mikayla Kennedy, meet the team."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Okay, probably not the best place to leave it. But I really wanted to get this out there for your critique. Thoughts, comments, constructive criticism? Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Hi guys. Sorry for the wait, but this chapter was...heavy. It took me a long time to write and to get it just the way I want it. Enjoy!

Chapter3

Garrett left Mikayla to her own devices, telling her to meet him at his office at one o'clock. Mikayla stood off to the side, watching the hustle and bustle of Jack's team. She wondered what she should do. Normally, she would have gone over to Jack, but a quick glance towards her old friend told her that he was frustrated, stressed, and not to be disturbed. She saw the people from Jack's photo shooting interested glances her way, but no one moved to confront her.

As she stood there, a Golden Retriever loped up to her and sat at her feet, raising both his front paws.

Mikayla laughed as she crouched down to his height. "Well, hello to you too!" She held her hand out for the dog to sniff before petting him on the head.

"I see you've met Levi." Mikayla turned her attention to the blond female smiling down at her, standing up and saying: "He's a beautiful dog. He must be pretty special to be allowed in her."

Mikayla shook the blond woman's hand. "He is special, but don't say that too loudly. He might get a big ego. Sue Thomas. And this is Levi, my hearing dog."

"Mikayla Kennedy." She assumed that, by having a hearing dog, Sue was deaf. Mikayla was about to question her when she was wrapped up in a pair of arms and lifted off the ground. When her feet touched back to the floor, she turned to see her assailant. It was the attractive, tall man from a few of Jack's photos.

"Well Mikayla Kennedy. Welcome to the F.B.I!" He reached for her hand but, rather than shake it, he bent low over it and gave it a small kiss. Mikayla felt herself go red. No guy had kissed her hand since…forever. The man winked playfully at her before saying, "Bobby Manning, at your service."

Still stunned by his friendly greeting, she spewed the first words that came to her. "Is that an Australian accent I detect?"

"Good ear!" Bobby answered, thickening his accent to a comedic extent. "The Bureau wanted me because I spent my childhood in the outback, wrestling crocodiles and kangaroos, and fighting off poisonous snakes and spiders." Mikayla giggled, wondering who this guy thought he was; not that it mattered, as she was thankful that he was trying to relieve the obvious tension emanating from Jack.

"Please, koala boy! I doubt our lovely companion is interested in your delusions." A new man came up and clasped her hand in both of his. "Myles Leland the Third. May I say that it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"The pleasure's all mine."

"You'll regret saying that." A pretty black woman approached the ever-growing group with a tiny blond in tow. "No, really," she added as Mikayla laughed. "You will regret it. 99% of the time, Myles is anything but a pleasure. You'll learn that quickly enough. I'm Lucy Dotson." Mikayla shook her hand.

She glanced quickly over Lucy's shoulder to see Jack staring at them, steaming silently. Mikayla looked down guiltily before she was bombarded with another hand in her face. "Tara Williams. It should be fun having another woman to outnumber these boys. We need all the help we can get."

Mikayla laughed aloud. "Well, I hope I can be of service."

"And I hope all of you can be of service by getting back to work." Jack's voice rang out from behind Lucy and Tara.

Bobby laughed. "Come on, Sparky! Can't we play with the new toy for a few more minutes?"

"I doubt Miss Kennedy appreciates being called a toy, Bobby. So let's try to get some work done, please."

As the crowd dispersed, Bobby wrapped his arm around Mikayla's shoulders and stage-whispered so the whole room could hear, "Ignore him. He's usually not this cranky. Must be old age."

Mikayla saw Sue and Tara try to conceal their laughter. She would have laughed too, but her ears were ringing. "_Since when am I 'Miss Kennedy'?"_ Mikayla heard herself saying, "I know. Jack's usually very sweet and understanding. Not to mention forgiving! And Jack's not old. He's the same age as I am. So unless you're calling me old…"

"You know Jack?" Somewhere, she heard Sue ask the question.

Mikayla looked at her, her eyes passing over Jack as she did. He sat at his desk, tense and watching her. "Yeah," she answered, pulling her eyes away from Jack's. "We were best friends for 18 years. Birth through high school."

"What happened after high school?" Bobby asked. "I would assume that you kept in touch, but I've known Jack since college, and he never mentioned you."

Mikayla shrugged, as if it didn't matter, even though she was steaming inside. "Life intervened." She figured this was the easiest way to go, since it was part-way true. "After graduation, Jack went to Stanford, while I went to New York. We lost touch since we were on opposite ends of the country."

As Bobby nodded his head thoughtfully, she heard Jack say through clenched teeth, "I would appreciate it if you wouldn't lie to them."

Mikayla sighed heavily as she turned to face him. "How am I lying to them?" She met his angry gaze. "Life came between us Jack. You went to Stanford, I went to New York. We lost contact. Simple as that." As the tension grew in the room, Mikayla was super-aware of the other people in the bullpen. A few of the agents that she hadn't been introduced to were feigning ignorance as they worked at their computers. Bobby had moved to lean against a wall, standing in-between her and Jack, looking ready to jump to Jack's defence. In her peripheral vision, she saw Myles openly gawking at them.

"Your _abandonment_ of me, your friends, and your family was anything _but_ simple."

"_ABANDONMENT?_ You have no idea what it's like to be abandoned Jack! Have you ever been completely alone? No friends or family to depend on? It's terrifying! Especially when you're only 18 years old!" Mikayla stared into Jack's usually warm brown eyes but was met with coldness like ice. She took a deep breath in an attempt to control her emotions. "_This is not the time to lose it Mikayla, come on!_" she thought to herself as she looked around the office. Lucy and Tara had escaped the bullpen somehow, probably wanting to avoid the conflict. Myles was still gawking at them. Bobby was watching them from his place against the wall. Only Sue seemed to be giving them privacy, as she had turned her back on them to read a report that had been deposited on her desk earlier that day. Mikayla turned back to Jack, who was still seated at his desk. "Look Jack. I know I probably didn't handle the situation as well as I could have all those years ago, but you have to see this from my perspective. When I told Drake I was going to have a baby, he laughed and told me to have a good life. My parents told me I had an hour to pack as much as I could into a duffle bag before leaving their property. I was 18, 2 months pregnant, homeless, and alone. I was so scared and I wasn't thinking properly."

"That's the thing though, Mikayla," Jack's eyes did not soften as she spoke, nor did his face show any trace of forgiveness. In fact, he looked as if he was trying to get a confession from a criminal. To Mikayla, he had never looked more intimidating. "You didn't have to be alone," he continued. "You know you could've come to me and I would've helped you out. You know that, and yet you still took off without a word."

"I left you that letter to -"

"Oh yeah, that damn letter!" Jack's façade cracked and his anger began seeping through. "All that letter told me was that you didn't trust me enough to stick around! Do you know how much that hurt? After 18 years I find out that you don't trust me!"

"Jack I didn't want you to end up hating me! I trust you too much; that was the problem! I knew you would've helped me but I couldn't let you!"

"What's that supposed to mean? That being alone was better than allowing your best friend to help you when you needed it?"

"At the time, it was better." Mikayla admitted quietly. Jack stared at her with stony eyes. Mikayla sighed audibly before continuing. "Of our entire graduation class, half went on to college, and maybe 5 went outside of Wisconsin to do it," she explained. "You got into Stanford's pre-law program! I didn't want to mess that up. If you had helped me, we both would've ended up stuck back in Cedar Lake because of my mistake! It was my mistake and I didn't want to pull you down with me! You had such big plans for your life and I didn't know what was going to happen to me, so I left to protect you!" Mikayla ignored the tears running down her face as she pleaded with her old best friend to forgive her. Her tears stopped as she saw that his face hadn't changed. She felt a spark of anger. "You know what, Jackson Samuel Hudson? I may have left home so you wouldn't feel obligated to take care of me, but I learned something when I was on my own. I needed to live those seven months of pregnancy by myself, to prove to myself that I could! I spent 18 years depending on you and my parents. Then I realized that my little baby boy was depending on me! And that I had to depend on myself too! I can't tell you how many times I wanted to call you and ask for help, but I wouldn't let myself! I handled everything by myself and I'm damn proud of it! So maybe if you stopped thinking about how you felt when I left, maybe you should think of what I went through!" Mikayla's voice got progressively louder until she was screaming at him, as the tears returned to her cheeks.

She was so loud that Levi put his head on Sue's lap, causing her to turn around. She saw that Dimetrius had entered the bullpen and was cautiously making his way over to Jack's desk. She saw him put a hand on Mikayla's shoulder, causing her to whip around and look at him.

"What?" Sue saw Mikayla say.

Though Sue couldn't hear D's answer, he said, "Is there a problem here?"

"No, D. There's no problem here." Sue saw Jack say. Sue saw D reach out his hand and introduce himself to Mikayla, who managed a weak smile before running out of the bullpen in the direction of the bathroom. Sue glanced at Jack, who looked like his mind was at war with his heart, before slipping out of the bullpen to follow Mikayla.

Bobby edged his way past D, who had turned to speak to Myles.

"I don't want to talk about it, Bobby." Jack said, putting his head down on his desk.

"Why don't you go talk to Garrett, mate? Just tell him there's a conflict of interests, and he'll transfer her to a different unit."

Jack was already shaking his head. "No, Crash. We'll work it out. It's just going to take some time."

"Jack, if she's going to cause problems –" Myles began.

"Can we just drop it please?" Jack snapped, and automatically felt bad. "Bobby, didn't you say that you have to go see Otis today about some information?"

"Yeah, he said something about a drug dealing ring. Why?"

"I'll come." Jack reached behind him and grabbed his jacket before following Bobby out of the bullpen.

* * *

><p>"Mikayla?" Sue knocked on the bathroom door before peeking her head in. She caught a glimpse of Mikayla leaning over the basin of the sink. "You okay?"<p>

Mikayla's head shot up as she tried to wipe the remaining traces of her tears off her face. "Sorry."

"What for?"

"For blowing a gasket in there. I guess I really lost it in there, huh?" Mikayla hoisted herself onto the sink counter and looked at Sue. "I think this must be the shortest F.B.I career in history. Jack's gonna want me out of here as quickly as possible."

"Why don't you come with me?" Sue asked suddenly. "I have to go see an informant, and then I'll take you to lunch. Maybe it will give Jack some time to cool off."

Having lost the will to argue, Mikayla followed Sue out of the bathroom and out of the Hoover Building.

**A/N:** Wow, so that was a pretty terrible ending. But I liked the rest of the chapter, so I hope you guys do too! Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Hi guys. I really want to apologize for the really long wait. I've got a lot on my plate right now. Unfortunately, this may be my last update for a while. I'm starting university on Tuesday, and I'm really freaking out about it. I'll still try to update on a semi-regular basis, but it may not happen, and I'm really sorry for that. But I hope you'll all stick with me. Umm…some confusion to clear up. This is not a purely Jack/Sue fiction. They will have their moments (after all, someone has to do what the producers didn't), but there are other relationships and friendships that this story will revolve around. Okay? But don't leave me! They will have their moments! I promise!

Chapter 4

Jack watched from the car as Bobby chatted with Howie and Otis. Bobby looked less-then-thrilled about Howie's abrupt appearance at his meeting with Otis, and usually Jack would have laughed at the expression on his best friend's face. But today, he was definitely not in a laughing mood. His mind kept replaying the things Mikayla had said (or yelled) to him. "_She obviously missed the entire point._" Jack thought to himself as Bobby returned to the silver Volvo. They watched Howie and Otis saunter away from the bench on M Street before Bobby began driving away.

"Lunch?" Bobby asked.

"Sure. Slappy's?"

Bobby nodded his head thoughtfully before coming to a red light and risking a look at his friend.

"You know," Bobby cleared his throat as he refocused on the traffic in front of him. "Howie and Otis really rag on each other, but they've obviously been through a lot together. Knowing Howie, he's probably made a tonne of mistakes and ticked Otis off to no end, but I can't imagine one without the other. They would both deny it, but they're best friends, you know?"

Jack shot Bobby a withering look, which Bobby ignored. "Best friends or not, I'm pretty sure if Howie took off and didn't bother to tell Otis where he was going, Otis would have a right to be put out and angry."

Bobby nodded. "Well," he said, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. "If Howie did take off and Otis wanted to talk to someone about it, I would want him to know that my door is always open. I'd rather he talked about it than walk around looking like he was going to shoot the next person he sees."

Jack shot Bobby another look before allowing a ghost of a smile to grace his features. "You're not as subtle as you think you are, Crash."

"Obviously not with that nickname I'm not, but don't go changing the subject Sparky."

Jack sighed. "I don't know what you want me to say." "_There's too much TO say. She just left. I didn't know if she was alright, I didn't know where she was living. She could've been dead and I wouldn't have known. I spent the good part of 3 years worrying about her. She didn't care enough to keep in touch._"

"Well, Mikayla said that you two have been friends forever."

"Our mothers were friends. They worked together as nurses, and when Mikayla's mother went into labor, my mom was her coach because her husband was away on business. Nobody could watch me, so I went with her. We met when I was a few weeks old and she was just a few hours old. Our mothers started getting us together to play a few times a week, and it just stuck. We were friends all the way through grade school."

"So, you've really been mates forever, huh?"

Jack nodded. "Until she took off," he muttered, looking out the car window at the passing D.C. scenery. "She said she left because she wanted me to have the life that she didn't think she would be able to have since she was pregnant. She said she didn't want to ruin my life."

Bobby kept his eyes focused on the road. He wasn't the most sensitive guy around. Heck, he made fun of D and Myles when they ate salads instead of 'manly food'. "_But this is my best mate. And he seems really torn up about this…Gah, I'm not good at this. D is way better at this then I am._" Bobby cleared his throat and his thoughts. "Jack, I know you probably don't want to hear this right now, but I probably would've done the same thing." Jack shot him a third look, which he ignored again. "You helped me out a lot when I started getting into trouble with gambling, right?"

"You've been my best friend our first week at Stanford." Jack said in answer.

"But when I started doing all that stupid stuff, you were working to become a lawyer. You risked a hell of a lot to help me. If I thought that your helping me was putting your future in jeopardy, I would've taken off and tried to help myself so that you could become a lawyer."

"I'm not saying that I don't get that reasoning. Yeah, I would've done all that I could to help Mikayla and her kid. I probably wouldn't have gone to school in California. We would've both ended up in Cedar Lake for the rest of our lives. But if you had left, would you have kept in touch?"

"I think I wouldn't have wanted to worry you, so I would've at least called once in a while."

"That's the thing Bobby!" Jack slammed his hands down on the dashboard in frustration. "After 18 years of being friends, all she felt I deserved was a lousy note! She left it in my mailbox! I came down one morning and found it there. She didn't even have the guts to give it to me face-to-face! She just left!" They sat in silence for a minute while Jack collected his thoughts. "You said you wouldn't have wanted to worry me?" Bobby nodded. "Well, she did! I spent 18 years protecting her from everything I could, and when she left I spent the longest time worrying about her!"

"So," Bobby cleared his throat. He had never seen his best mate act like this, and, to be completely honest, it was scaring him a little. "You were kind of like a parent to her, protecting her, worrying about her?"

"Exactly. Her parents weren't around much because they worked a lot. I'm the one that took care of her when she needed it."

"Well, are you sure you're angry at her? Or were you just worried about her?"

"It took me a long time to get over her leaving. Even once I started getting over it, there were still moments when I couldn't help but think about her and wonder if she was alright!" "_I left Cedar Lake because of her. I couldn't stay there while the memories of her were still there, haunting me. She drove me out of my home. She nearly ruined me._" "And now that I've distanced myself from all that, it's come back to bite me in the ass!"

"So, why don't you tell Garrett all this, and he'll transfer her to a different unit. This could really mess with the team dynamic."

"Because. She doesn't deserve to be shunted from place to place. She's new in the city, and I would just prefer to live in peace."

"And do you think that'll ever be able to happen with you and Mikayla going at each other every five minutes?"

"We'll get through it. We always have. 15 years of separation is a lot to work through, but we'll get there."

"If you're sure." As Jack nodded his head, Bobby had a thought. "If she meant so much to you, why didn't you tell me about her?"

Jack sighed. "When I met you, I was still pretty shaken up by Mikayla's sudden disappearance. And I don't usually put things that don't work out on my resume."

"But -"

"Crash, I appreciate what you're trying to do but the only way to work this out is if I talk to Mikayla."

**A/N:** Sorry about the ending, as per usual, and sorry about the shortness. I was going to try to cram three conversations into this chapter, but I don't want to overwhelm you all, so this chapter is Bobby and Jack, next chapter will be Sue and Mikayla, and probably a sprinkling of Jack and Sue. Don't know when you'll hear from me next, so: Keep reading; have a good life; be nice to each other. Oh, and a shout-out to my mentor, my inspiration, my brother, my friend, my soul mate. Happy 65th Birthday, Freddie Mercury.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Hey gang. Sorry about the long wait. But the first semester of university was a pain in the butt, and I had no time to do any writing! Sad face, right? But I'll try to do better! Please don't leave me! Well, this is the accompanying chapter to the Bobby/Jack conversation that took place last time. I really don't like it, but I hope you guys do. Please drop me a line and tell me what you think!

Chapter 5

Mikayla watched Sue and her informant Troy sign rapidly back and forth from the passenger seat of Sue's red Mustang convertible. She had calmed down enough that she was no longer crying; instead she had been filled with a crushing hopelessness. Her best friend (after all those years, Jack was still her best friend. That hadn't changed a bit.) was no longer speaking to her and he was the leader of the F.B.I team in which she had been placed. "_And there's absolutely nothing I can do about it._" Mikayla was jolted from her thoughts by Levi, whom Sue had just placed in the backseat. The friendly Retriever had shoved his head through the space between the seats and had begun licking her face.

"Levi!" Sue exclaimed as she slid into her seat, pushing him back into the back of the car.

"It's alright Sue. A little animal slobber never killed anybody."

"I'm so sorry." Sue replied as she handed Mikayla a tissue, which she used to wipe off the dog drool on her cheek.

"Really, it's fine. He's such a sweet puppy."

"I know. I don't know what I would do without him." Sue shifted the car into first gear, and they started cruising down the road. "Are you hungry?"

"A little."

"There's a little deli at the next intersection, if you feel like it."

"Sounds good."

* * *

><p>They sat at a small table in the corner of the cozy delicatessen. Levi lay quietly underneath the table while the two women ate their lunches and drank their coffees.<p>

Mikayla grabbed Sue's hand, causing her to look up.

"Thank you for this, Sue. It's nice to know that someone is willing to give me a chance." Mikayla said bitterly before taking another sip of coffee.

"I think more people are willing to give you a chance that you think."

"No. When it comes down to it, I'm the newbie that blew a gasket within her first hour on the team. Jack has the most support. He's worked with the F.B.I for a long time, and everyone is loyal to him. Not that I mind of course. It's to be expected. Jack's like…gravity. Or magnetism. Everyone is drawn to him; that's how it's always been. And he's such a sweet nice guy that nobody can bear to hurt him. Except me, it seems." Mikayla looked down at her half-finished coffee, tracing the lip of the worn mug.

"It can't be that bad."

Mikayla rolled her eyes. "If there's one thing that hasn't changed about Jack, even after all these years, it's that he values friendship, honesty and loyalty above everything else. And 15 years ago, after being friends our entire lives, I left. I didn't tell him why to his face, I didn't give him any advanced notice. I was just…gone. I threw our friendship out the window in his eyes. And I can't fix that, no matter how hard I try."

"Jack can be very forgiving." Sue commented, thinking of all the times he had been angry at her for doing something he deemed reckless, and yet he had still stood between her and the danger.

"Oh I know. I had my fair amount of screw-ups when we were younger. I have no doubt that he's already forgiven. But that doesn't mean that everything's fixed."

"Of course not. It will be hard work, getting back to where you were before everything happened. But I'm sure that God brought you back together for a reason. Maybe you both needed to grow up apart before coming back together."

"An unplanned teen pregnancy and my parents kicking me out doesn't exactly sound like God's work, Sue." Mikayla scoffed.

"Well you know what they say. 'The Lord doth work in mysterious ways.' And obviously you've both matured, despite being apart. A person changed a lot between the ages of 18 and 33."

"That's true. I never would've become the person I am without that time away from Jack. I just wish it didn't hurt so much."

Sue clasped Mikayla's hand between hers comfortingly. Mikayla looked up at her and smiled sadly. The two women sat in comfortable silence as they finished their lunches.

* * *

><p>As luck would have it, the two duos ended up back at the Hoover building at the same time, leading to a relatively awkward elevator ride where Sue, Bobby and Jack began discussing one of their cases which left Mikayla standing in the corner, feeling alone again. She glanced down at her shoes, not knowing where to look, and subconsciously clicking her heels together.<p>

Jack risked a look at Mikayla when he was discussing the drug trafficking case the team was currently working on. "_Damn that nervous habit of hers!_" Jack thought. He could distinctly remember the first time she clicked her heels in front of him. It had been the first day of first grade, and he had been a few minutes late according to the assigned meeting time their mothers had informed them of. They were going to meet in front of the school at 8:30, half an hour before school started. He had arrived at 8:35, only to find her nervously clicking the heels of her sneakers together. He hadn't been able to resist going up and hugging her from behind. She had just looked so scared and lost. "_Just like now._" Jack felt like kicking himself for putting that look on her face. Despite the bad blood between them now, he had never stopped caring. There was always a part of his brain that was on the lookout for her, no matter where he went.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by the _ding_ of the elevator. He held back to let Sue, Mikayla and Bobby out first. He heard Bobby strike up a conversation with Mikayla as they walked down the hall to the bullpen. He was surprised to see that Sue had waited for him.

"Hey Sue, what's up?"

"I just wanted to talk to you."

"Sue, if it's about Mikayla, I'm really not in the mood to hear it."

"I just wanted to say that she's completely heartbroken about everything that happened. On the car ride back, she mentioned that she felt like a 'colossal screw-up' since she lost her parents, her baby, and her best friend in less than a year. I just wanted you to know that she feels terrible."

"I know she does. It's just gonna take some time, but we'll figure everything out." Sue nodded her head as they entered the bullpen together. Mikayla had retreated to Garrett's office, leaving a less-tense atmosphere. Jack sat at his desk, surprised to find a piece of paper that obviously wasn't paperwork that hadn't been there before lunch. He picked up the paper, which was actually a photo with a Post-it note attached. The Post-it read: _I don't know if this is out of line, but I needed you to see him – Mikayla_. He picked up the old Polaroid and stared at it. In the picture, Mikayla was in a hospital bed, sweaty with her hair plastered to her forehead. A baby no bigger than a loaf of bread lay nestled in her arms. What caught his attention was the fire in Mikayla's eyes. She stared out at the camera with a look that said, 'Look Jack, I did it.' He had seen that look before, whenever he challenged her to do something out of her comfort zone. He let the photo fall back onto his desk. As it fell, the displaced air rustled the Post-it, flipping it over. He noticed the writing on the back of it. '_I wanted to name him after the most important man in my life. My dad abandoned me, and I didn't want him to grow up to be like his father. So I named him Jackson Christopher. I hope you and your dad don't mind._'

Jack threw his head back, so it lay on the headrest of his chair. He threw his arm over his eyes, trying to block out the fluorescent lights of the office. Now he felt like an ass. She had worked so hard to pull her life together after she became pregnant, and here he was, acting as if her issues were a personal affront to him. "_So much for being a nice guy._"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Yeah, so I hate this chapter. But I wanted to get it up. This is the first time I've posted a chapter without discussing the contents with proudtobeamerican18. I hope she's not too upset with me. Please read and review!


End file.
